$10 at Target: Spring Refresh

We've been having some very un-winter like weather the last couple of weeks, which is probably why I was so drawn to the bright spring colors and decor at the dollar spot when I went to Target this last weekend.  (Although we do have a winter storm warning in effect right now, so my dreams of spring may get put on hold for a little bit longer.)  I love decorating for spring and have slowly been getting rid of my old decor and transitioning to pieces that are more my current style.  I love bright colors, as well as the flexibility to use different pieces over multiple seasons.  I can't wait to officially start decorating for spring with these fun items.  And can you believe I scored them for less than $10?

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DIY Dollar Store Jeweled Vases

I've mentioned before that the dollar store is one of my favorite places to find craft supplies.  If you haven't taken the time to browse the craft aisle, definitely do it the next time you're there.  You might be surprised!  When I walked in last week, I didn't have anything specific in mind in terms of what I wanted to do for this month's Inspire My Creativity challenge.  After throwing a few items into my cart, an idea formed and that is how I came up with this month's craft: jeweled vases.  (And I'm not kidding when I say this is probably one of the the quickest and easiest crafts I've ever made!)

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Rustic Paint Stick Snowflakes

When my husband and I got married, we were still in college and so we lived in a handful of apartments before we graduated and settled down into our home.  My decorations were really more of a collection of things that had been given to me or that I'd made or picked up from the dollar store and didn't really have any kind of cohesiveness.  So a few years ago, I started sifting through my Christmas and winter decorations and getting rid of anything that I didn't love, which was actually quite a bit.  I love decorating for different holidays and seasons but it can get a little tiresome to only have pieces up for a month or so before taking them down and starting all over again.  That's why I'm totally in love with these rustic snowflakes I made!  I can keep them up all winter long, plus they match the style of my regular home decor.

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DIY Box Frame Sign

Two days ago, I messaged my husband a picture and asked him how hard he thought it would be to make the frame pictured.  "Not hard," he told me.  "Good," I said.  "Can we make 5 of them tonight?"  And that's what's led to me spending pockets of time working on said frames over the last two days in between getting the kids to school, running errands, cleaning up the house and every other thing on my to-do list for the week.  But I absolutely love how they turned out!  Box frames are simple, classic and versatile.  Their clean lines make them perfect for framing both pictures, quotes and images.  They are modern and traditional.  Combine all this together and it's easy to see why they've become so popular in recent years.  With a little help from my husband, I was able to make five of them for less than $1 per frame!  As Christmas approaches, I'm always on the lookout for simple DIY gifts I can give family and friends and these box frame signs definitely fit the bill!

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My Favorite Black Home Decor Pieces

When I was in college, I briefly considered going into interior design.  I took the introductory class and while I enjoyed learning about it, it definitely wasn't where my passion was.  A lot of what I learned has stuck with me though and I've tried to incorporate it into my home as I choose pieces for different rooms.  As it turns out, black is a great choice when you want to ground a room and using it for larger pieces, such as furniture, is very common.  You don't want to overuse it, otherwise you end up with a space that is, well, dark.  But used wisely and in moderation, black is a great color (or neutral if you will) to add to your color scheme.

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How To Convert An Old Crate Into A Bathroom Shelf

In the six years since we moved into our current home, my design style and preferences have evolved and room by room, I've been making changes: towels, sheets, lampshades, pillows and so on.  Last month when I was at the thrift store picking up a piece to makeover for our Inspire My Creativity challenge, I also found an old crate that was sturdy and big, but it had dowels running through it and it was half painted.  I picked it up for $4 and brought it home with the desire to transform it into a shelf for our main bathroom.  I thought it would be pretty straightforward, but I ran into a few snags on the way.  See how I converted an old crate to a fun and functional bathroom shelf.

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DIY Laundry Room Sign

The summer after my husband and I got married, we drove out to Buffalo, NY, where he sold security systems.  Towards the end of the summer, his office got moved to Philadelphia, PA.  Thankfully, there were many wives who were out with their husbands so we became good friends and did some sightseeing here and there.  While in Philadelphia, we decided to drive out to a little amish town and do some exploring.  In one of the little shops we visited, I found a laundry room sign.  This sign has been with us for almost 9 years and when I first bought it, I thought it was the cutest thing, but as I've grown into my own personal style of decorating, I found that it just wasn't working anymore.  So I decided to do a little DIY laundry room sign makeover and share this easy tutorial with you!

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Rainbow String Art Tutorial

When it comes to crafting, I like to try everything.  I have an entire craft room full of all sorts of supplies for everything from vinyl, embroidery, scrapbooking, acrylic paints, a million brads, felt, adhesives...phew!  And that's not even close to everything.  Something I've been wanting to try my hand at is string art.  I've seen it all over and there are so many shops that sell it.  My friend Sarah over at Making Joy and Pretty Things recently did a cute string art heart for her daughter's nursery.  I commented on her post and told her I'd been wanting to try it out myself and she suggested I do one for St. Patrick's Day.  So I did.  *wink*

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Halloween Mantle Inspiration and Dec-O-Ween Blog Hop

Can you believe that Halloween is only a little over 2 weeks away?  This month is flying by!  Since I can only use my Halloween decorations for a limited amount of time each year, I tried to get them up quickly so we could enjoy them all month long.

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Fall Home Tour: Front Porch and Fall Mantle Inspiration

I love Fall.  I love the bright colors of the leaves as they change.  I love the cooler weather.  I love pumpkins and cornstalks and sunflowers.  So it should come as no surprise that these are the things I use and think about as I decorate my home for the change of season from summer to fall.  I've teamed up with At Home (who has graciously sponsored this post) to bring you some fall inspiration for your home.

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Happy Pumpkin Spice Season {FREE} Printable

Fall is officially here!  It's time to bust out all the pumpkin recipes you've been drooling over and pinning if you haven't done so already.  As for me, I actually made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies last week and they were so good!  Once I feel the change in the air, I can't help myself.

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How To Update Your Garage Door Entrance

One of the things I was most excited about when we moved into our home was the attached garage because up until that point, we'd lived in apartments with no covered parking.  Being in Utah, we have some pretty cold days in the winter and scraping snow off my car or cranking the heat in my car for a quick errand was really annoying.  Being in Utah, we also have some crazy hot summer days so then there is the opposite issue of trying to cool down a hot car or being worried someone is going to burn their hands or legs on the buckles.  So having an attached garage was just like icing on the cake of buying our first home.

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Fall Flowers and Berries Wreath

While fall might not officially be here for another three days, I think it's pretty safe to say that fall is here.  I've been pulling out my fall decor and even made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and spiced apple cider last week.  The air is cooler, which makes it much more enjoyable for my kids to go and play outside and inside we haven't had the air conditioner on more than a few times this week.  Yes, fall is here whether you want it to be or not.

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Hallway Table Makeover

Before I had my daughter, I worked for a digital scrapbooking company in their home office.  Below the main office, there was a warehouse that was rented out by a furniture store to hold their stock.  Occasionally they would have a sale on pieces that were slightly damaged or missing parts and they would invite us to come and take a look.  It was during one of these sales that I found a cute little wood table for about $20.  It had a couple of tiny scratches on the top but was otherwise in perfect condition.  So I bought it and brought it home to my husband who looked at me like I'd bought the ugliest thing in the world.

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Cabinet Door Makeover

A few months ago while I was browsing around a store, I found this awesome serving plate that had all the colors that I wanted to decorate my kitchen in.  The design was fun, the colors were bright and I think it cost me about $6.  Done and done.  Since buying that plate and putting it above my kitchen cabinets, I've slowly started filling in the space.  However, I've run into a few snags because of the way our ceiling slopes above the cabinets so the height varies a lot.

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Top 10 Craft Supplies From The Dollar Store

A week or so ago, I was at the dollar store picking up some supplies for the magnetic puzzle I was making when I realized how much craft stuff I buy there.  Now, granted, there are some really crappy items at the dollar store that are definitely not worth your dollar, but we'll save that post for another day.

Today I'm sharing the top 10 craft supplies I buy at the dollar store.

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How To Stain Wood

About a month or so ago I was wandering around one of my favorite home decor stores (The Wood Connection) and I saw a cute shadow box with the patriotic decor that had been stained.  The result was a more antique look to the wood since you could see the grain.  Now, up to this point, I'd never stained anything.  Paint is my go-to and wood stain was totally foreign to me.  I decided it was time to add it to my skill set and took it up to the front to pay for it, along with the shadow box.  I talked to the ladies up front and got a couple of tips and went on my way.

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Summer Mantle Inspiration

Summer is in full swing here in Utah, complete with 100+ degree days.  So. Hot.  My poor kids, who love being outside, come in by 10am with red cheeks and requests for popsicles to try and beat the heat.  Crazy stuff.

Since summer got here, we've been busy enjoying the nice weather and playing as much as possible.  As a result, my spring decorations never really got put away and my only summer decoration was the cute pallet art I made a couple months ago.

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Craft Room Organization {Using Chalkboard Labels}

When my husband and I started to work on finishing the basement, my only request was: "Can I please have a craft room?"  Knowing how much craft stuff I have, and how much my husband dislikes when I spread it all over the kitchen counters, he made sure that I had a space dedicated to my craftiness.  (He still likes to call it an office, but we both know it's really my craft room.)

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Summer Pallet Art

I was looking at my spring mantle this week and realizing that it was time to start thinking about summer decor.  So I looked through my summer decorations and noticed a serious lack of summer-y-ness (totally a word) in my collection.  A few months ago I picked up a 12x12 unfinished pallet board at Walmart without knowing exactly what I wanted to do with it but thought it would come in handy one day.  (This is a habit that drives my husband crazy, but sometimes I just can't help myself.  *wink*)

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